1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer resource assignment apparatus and a method for effectively assigning a computer resource used for a temporary registered user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a network system, a plurality of computers (for example, a terminal or EWS used commonly) are connected by a network for access to use computer resources such as a file, a directory, disk space, or to commonly use the file. In this network system, in order to maintain security, only a preregistered user can use the system or execute log-in. As for registration of the user, the user is registered to a user list and the computer resource is assigned to the user. As the computer resource, access right information such as a user ID (for example, numerals, English letters, or their combination), a group ID, personal information such as a user name and a password, a resource related to a data memory function such as a file, a directory, and disk space correspond. In some systems, the user ID and the user name are commonly used.
At a predetermined time such as log-in, the registered user inputs the user name previously assigned and the password previously registered in order to use the system or execute log-in. In this case, by controlling access based on the access right information such as the user ID and the group ID assigned to the registered user, access to the computer resource such as the file, the directory, and the disk space, are suitably limited in order to maintain security.
In this prior network system, the registration of the user is executed by a system manager. Even if an unregistered user wants to temporarily use the system, the unregistered user must be regularly registered as new user. Accordingly, whenever the unregistered user temporarily uses the system, the system manager must register a new user ID and user name of the unregistered user to the system. In addition to this, when this user finishes use of the system, the system manager must delete the registration of the user. In case the system manager is absent, the user registration is not executed and the user can not temporarily use the network system.
Nowadays, not only the above-mentioned network system but also portable device such as notebook personal computers and portable information terminals have spread rapidly. Therefore, the portable device is often connected to the network system. Especially, as for data managed by the network system to which a user is registered in this office, the data are often downloaded to a portable device of the user and accessed in another office to which the user has gone. Furthermore, the sending/receiving of electronic mail and access to WWW through modem are frequently executed. In addition to this, by temporarily connecting the portable device to a network system in another office (the user is not registered to this network system), the number of user requests for use the network environment increases.
In this way, in case an unregistered user temporarily uses his portable device by connecting to the network system at a new location, the unregistered user must be registered to the system as a new user. In this case, by a demand of the system to control access based on the access right information, two operations are necessary. The first operation is a notification of the user ID and the group ID assigned to the user from the system to his portable device. The second operation is the acquisition and reservation of the access right information in the portable device. However, these two operations are independently executed in the system side and the portable device side.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer resource assignment apparatus and a method for effectively registering a temporary user in response to a request from the user in a computer resource assignment system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable device and a method for effectively using the access right information acquired from the computer resource assignment system.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer resource assignment apparatus, comprising: a registration request processing means for assigning a computer resource to a user in response to a temporary registration request from the user; and a computer resource management means for managing the computer resource assigned to the user of the temporary registration request.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a portable device used by a user by connecting to a network system, comprising: an access right information acquisition means for acquiring access right information of a computer resource assigned to the user temporarily registered to the network system from a computer which manages the computer resource in the network system; an access right information preservation means for preserving the access right information acquired by said access right information acquisition means; and a network access means for accessing the network system by using the access right information preserved in said access right information preservation means.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a computer resource assignment method, comprising the steps of: assigning a computer resource to a user in response to a temporary registration request from the user; and managing the computer resource assigned to the user of the temporary registration request.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a management method in a portable device used for a user by connecting to a network system, comprising the steps of: acquiring access right information of a computer resource assigned to the user temporarily registered to the network system from a computer which manages the computer resource in the network system; preserving the access right information acquired; and accessing the network system using the access right information preserved.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions, comprising: an instruction means for causing a computer to assign a computer resource to a user in response to a temporary registration request from the user; and an instruction means for causing a computer to manage the computer resource assigned to the user of the temporary registration request.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions used in a portable device by connecting to a network system, comprising: an instruction means for causing a computer to acquire an access right information of a computer resource assigned to a user temporarily registered to the network system from a computer which manages the computer resource in the network system; an instruction means for causing a computer to preserve the access right information acquired; and an instruction means for causing a computer to access the network system using the access right information preserved.